Student Teaching

What a CRAZY adventure Student Teaching was....

Don't get me wrong I absolutely LOVED it. But it was definitely interesting. Never a dull moment thats for sure. Fall semester 2010 I did my first student Teaching Practicum (5 week IPT) at Harry Ainlay High school in Edmonton (I know ridiculous name right?haha) Anyway These students were awesome there were a few times I could have pulled out my hair but for the most part it was awesome! the students were so fun you never know they are going to say or do so they definitely keep you on your toes. But it was so fun at first its awkward just butting in and teaching part way through the semester but once the students get to know you a bit better it's great! they are so easy to work with and most of them have never welded before so no matter how TERRIBLE my welds might look one day they are still impressed so that was fun haha. 

These are some pictures that my Mentor teacher took during one of my Demo's for the students.

In this pic I am the one sitting on the Table watching a student try it out himself.

 so just look for the polka dotted Welding Beanie right by the bright light thats me helping the students try it out

Before starting my winter Semester I went back to Ainlay to check up on the students and see what they were up to. Their semester was almost over so most of them were doing project work. Majority of the class were building "rocket ships" except this one student who I always thought was hilarious he's just a different bird.... I asked him "Bubba what are you working on?" and he replied "I'm making a cat" A classroom full of high school boys making rocket ships and Bubba decides to make a cat. 

(not the construction type but the animal)

It actually turned out better than I thought it would haha but I guess he made drawings for this and everything he was right into it.....I love how creative they are sometimes its awesome!

I LAUGHED soooo hard when I saw this finished Cat!

Don't worry Bubba wasn't around lol

although he would have laughed right along with me

Winter Semester 2011 I did my 9 week APT student teaching practicum at Jasper Place high school in the west end of Edmonton. I really enjoyed the 9 week practicum because I had more time to get to know the students and help them along I felt like during the 5 week placement they barely got used to having me around and then I was gone. 

So My mentor Teacher at Jasper Place's wife was due with their first child the 3rd or 4th week of my practicum so when he took his leave for a few days to go enjoy being a new daddy, the students decided they wanted to get him a little something. So I told them if they would all pitch I would go pick up whatever they wanted to get him and we could have it ready the day he got back. They decided they wanted to get him a Teddy Bear with a welding helmet and lots of balloons (because thats what every new parent needs is a crap load of balloons, right? but I wanted it to be from the students so we went with it.)

For those of you who don't know.....

THEY DO NOT MAKE WELDING HELMETS FOR TEDDY BEARS!!

Apparently build a bear hasn't thought of that one yet. Believe me I checked.

So we had to improvise I went searching for something small enough and the right shape to become a teddy bear welding helmet and found a bear and the students did the rest. The bear did not cost very much so I asked what they wanted to do with the rest of the money, they decided they wanted to get his wife flowers.... which I thought was so sweet and I was quite surprised seeing as this was a class of ALL grade 12 boys.

Anyway in the end it turned out SOOOO cute I LOVED it and did not want to part with it haha

So this was the helmet we made out of half an easter Egg I found at the dollar store...

Then one of the students decided Welder Bear Also needed a "Stinger"

For those of you who don't know that is what hold your electrode while stick welding...

and this is a pretty accurate replica... I was SO impressed :)

 The balloons and welder Bear and the flowers

Auntie Jen picked up the flowers for me that morning and dropped them off at noon because I couldn't hide them all day from Curtis. They had a little boy so she searched for blue roses they were beautiful! 

Needless to say Curtis was super impressed and he loved the little Welder Bear!

I was so impressed by the students desire to do this and their creativity! It turned out Perfect!!

My last few days were bitter sweet I was SOO ready to be done school and doing assignments and grading and writing reports on my progress for the U of A and all that jazz but I was having so much FUN teaching I did not want to leave!

This is a photo of my grade 10 class that I took on my last day

They surprised me by writing on a card and they gave me this......which Curtis had John (my Mentor teacher from Ainlay) cut out on the CNC plasma table he just got.

I LOVE IT!

I have been wanting to make one of these for ever!! I couldn't find the pattern! Now I have the pattern and the REAL DEAL!!

Then my Grade 12 class....

These are the guys that went super crazy creative with the baby gift....they knew how much I loved it and they also knew that my favorite color was pink and that I REALLY REALLY miss my Dog.....so this is what these creative high school boys made me as a parting gift....

A PINK WELDER DOG!!!

Fully equipped with his own welding beanie! haha

They made this Mini-welder! It was so funny because they made it while I was in class and they were all acting really strange and I couldn't figure out what all these weird little parts were they were working on...

I LOVE IT! they put so much detail into it! I'm so impressed! seriously the most creative group of guys I've ever met! They were a fun class! don't get me wrong there were days I could have strangled a few of them and they can be pretty Moody sometimes! and once the questions like "Ms. Needham are you married? or Ms. Needham Do you have a boyfriend? or Ms. Needham will you be my date for grad?" stopped coming they turned out to be a GREAT bunch of guys and I wish them all the best in their futures! and hope I was able to teach them something along the way!

All in all I LOVED teaching! So am I sad that I will no longer be teaching in the fall with Livingstone?

No, not really...teaching is more my long term goal. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to get a major head start on my degree, I am so grateful for all the leaning and growing I have done over the past year and I am grateful for all that I have. However at this point in my life I am not ready to settle down in Pincher Creek by myself for 8 years.... there is so much more I want to do, and I would really like to have more experience under my belt before I lock myself in a classroom.....

Plus I have a few other plans that I'm working on for the next few years of life that I am pretty excited about 

;)